Errors costly in 9-2 loss to Padres
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Mat Latos pitched effectively over six innings despite giving up two solo home runs in his first start since July 8 and the division-leading San Diego Padres won for the seventh time in nine games, beating the Pittsburgh Pirates 9-2 on Saturday night. With Latos (11-4) back in the rotation and winning his sixth in a row, it was a typical night for the Padres. They lack power hitters and their .253 batting average is the NL’s fourth worst, yet a team with a league-best 57-39 record keeps finding ways to manufacture runs.
Pirates third baseman Pedro Alvarez’s error misplaying Jerry Hairston Jr.’s grounder began a three-run sixth – the first of two multiple-run San Diego innings that started with an infield error. Adrian Gonzalez and Chase Headley had run-scoring singles and Nick Hundley added a sacrifice fly off Jeff Karstens (2-6) in an inning that included two walks and a stolen base.
The Padres scored five times in an eighth inning that started with first baseman Garrett Jones’ error and included a 42-minute rain delay. Former San Diego reliever Sean Gallagher committed a balk with the bases loaded, and pinch-hitter Oscar Salazar had a two-run double.
Of San Diego’s 14 runs in the first two games of the three-games series, only two scored on an extra-base hit. The Padres hit a combined four sacrifice flies, and their league-leading bullpen didn’t allow a run in six innings.
Padres relievers pitched three scoreless innings for the second night in a row, with rookie Ernesto Frieri and Joe Thatcher combining for the seventh before Tim Stauffer pitched the final two innings to lower his ERA to 0.31.
This is typical, too – a Padres series victory in Pittsburgh. The Padres are assured of winning their 10th consecutive series in PNC Park, where they are 23-9.
The Pirates lost their third in a row and their 11th in 15 games overall.
Latos, picked for the All-Star game at age 22 before going on the disabled list with a strained muscle in his left side, had a 17-innings scoreless streak ended by rookie Jose Tabata’s second career homer in the third. Delwyn Young’s fifth homer of the season put the Pirates up 2-1 in the fifth, as Latos gave up as many homers against Pittsburgh as he permitted in his 12 previous starts combined.
Latos, supposedly injured while trying to halt a sneeze, was lifted after giving up seven hits, striking out seven and walking two in six innings. Karstens (2-6) gave up four runs, two earned, and seven hits in six innings while losing his fourth in a row.
NOTES: Padres reliever Mike Adams (strained left oblique) threw his first bullpen session since going on the disabled list. He can be activated Tuesday. … Despite pregame temperatures in the mid 90s, Padres coach Ted Simmons wore a hooded sweatshirt while hitting fly balls to the outfielders. … Karstens didn’t allow a homer after giving up a combined four in his previous two starts. … Some in a crowd of 36,967 drawn in part by a postgame Steve Miller concert booed when the eighth inning resumed, preferring to continue watching a prerecorded Lynyrd Skynyrd concert that was playing on the scoreboard. … Padres CF Tony Gwynn ranged far to his left to make a sliding catch of Alvarez’s drive to the right-center gap in the eighth.